1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to printing systems that print a document or the like generated by a terminal apparatus such as a personal computer connected to a network such as a LAN, and more particularly, to printing systems capable of preventing an operator from erroneously setting printing conditions.
2. Discussion of the Background
A document printing system described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2000-298564 enables a printer driver to generate an intermediate file described with a PDL (Page Description Language). In such a system, application software sets and changes prescribed print condition setting to the intermediate file so that print data can receive optional processing. As a result, highly sophisticated printing is enabled.
Further, a number of functions of a printer has increased recently. For example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 11-143657, not only magnification and integration printings, but also complex printing, such as duplex printing, punching, stabling, etc., have been achieved only by prescribed application software and a printer driver function. However, depending upon a direction of a sheet to be printed, for example, impermissible settings arise due to a physical limitation on the printer such that punching can not be performed at a designated position.
In general, before printing is performed using prescribed application software, a print condition setting user interface is displayed by a printer driver using API (Application Program Interface) or the like provided by an OS (original system). Then, a combination of impermissible settings which are set through the print condition setting user interface is excluded from available options, for example, so that erroneous print condition settings cannot be selected. Then, setting details are stored in a memory, and further sent to the printer driver in order to be printed.
Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2000-207150, a client apparatus generates a print job including data designating printing a document. A print server is also provided to interpret the print job and generate and provide printable data from the document to a printer, thereby enabling the printer to print. In such a system, a user accesses a document supervisory database, included in the print server, from document supervisory application software which is included in the client apparatus. The user simultaneously makes a query if printable data that constructs the print job is stored. If the printable data is stored, it is read and reused as print designation data.
According to the document printing system described in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2000-298564, application software can recognize a type of function related to printing and settable from a printer driver, and settable details for the function. However, the inventor of the present invention realized when a prescribed combination of setting details is generated as print condition settings, an inappropriate combination may be created depending upon contents of the combination. In general, only a printer driver which is specialized for a printer can readily determine if such a combination is appropriate. Accordingly, when such a determination system is incorporated in application software, there is a disadvantage if the application software is not specialized for a printer.
Furthermore, a disadvantage may arise, for example, when “landscape” is set as print condition setting for a sheet in a printing apparatus as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 11-143657. The inventor of the present invention realized that the disadvantage is that an impermissible setting item, such as punching at an upper side of the sheet, disappears from the print condition setting user interface that preferably displays all the options for confirmation purpose.
In addition, according to the system of Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2000-207150, the printable data is taken in once by the client apparatus and then is transferred to the printer via a network again. However, the inventor of the present invention realized that a disadvantage arises because the load on the network increases and therefore is time consuming. In addition, setting of a printer driver should be performed at each client apparatus.